The present invention is related to rope clamping devices and more particularly to rope clamps that may be securely clamped against a section of flexible rope without external support.
Rope clamp assemblies are often utilized in material conveying systems wherein a stop means is required along a suspended length of rope to provide an actuator or an abutment for a movable carriage. Often, the stop must be very securely fastened to the rope to remain stationary along the rope when engaged by a moving carriage or other cooperating apparatus. It has often been desired to obtain a clamp assembly that will hold itself in a stationary position along the length of a taut, suspended rope without being permanently fixed thereto. Ordinarily where it is important that a stop remain stationary, a permanent stop is located in the desired position along the rope length. Obviously, such permanently located stops do not provide the versatility of a movable clamp assembly. An additional disadvantage of some movable clamp assemblies is that they tend to become loose on the attached rope as it is brought to a taut condition between ends.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,710,697 discloses a rope controller that is fixed to an independent support and operates in response to movement of a lever and cam mechanism to alternately forceably clamp and release a rope extending therethrough. This mechanism allows the rope to move past the clamping elements only when held in a taut condition and moved angularly relative to the rope portion on another side of the clamp. The lever is operated as the rope moves angularly to actuate the cam, pivoting it from engagement with the rope. No means is provided to tighten the clamp as the rope is tightened on opposite sides thereof.
The U.S. Pat. No. 325,983 discloses a suspender clutch pulley. The overhead supported pulley includes a pivoted clamp plate actuated by a downwardly depending arm for engaging a rope. The position of the clamp plate pivot axis is such that, as the rope on one side of the pulley is moved radially away from the pulley axis, the clamp plate is likewise moved as the rope engages the actuating lever. This outward movement releases clamping force between the clamp plate and pulley. This apparatus will not tighten itself about the rope as tension is applied to both rope ends on opposite sides of the clamp. It is responsive to angular movement of the rope to enable engagement and disengagement of the clutch assembly in order to release and clamp the rope against the pulley.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,656,113 discloses a clothesline holder for holding a clothesline tight between two spaced supports. A clamp assembly is mounted to one stationary support and receives one end of the clothesline. The clothesline is threaded over a pulley and between two serrated clamp plates. A manually operable lever and an eccentric cam are pivotably mounted adjacent to one of the clamp plates so that selective movement of the lever urges the clamp plate against the rope to clamp it securely against the remaining clamp plate. Pivotal movement of the lever in another direction releases the clamping action. Again, the rope clamping function of this apparatus is like the above apparatus performed manually and not in response to tensioning of the rope between ends on opposite sides of the clamp assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,175,977 discloses a cord locking mechanism for venetian blinds. Again, in this apparatus a clamp means is provided whereby the venetian blind cord may be selectively clamped against a stationary surface by angular movement of the venetian blind cord rather than by tensioning of the cord between ends. This apparatus does however utilize a lever actuating mechanism that is operatively connected to the cord on one side of the clamp and pivots in response to angular positioning of the cord to move a clamp plate to selectively engage the cord. The disclosed apparatus however, will not operate to tighten the clamping force on the cord if it is tensioned along a line on opposite sides of the clamp assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,330,736 discloses a clamp utilizing a longitudinal clamp surface on one side of a cord with a movable clamp plate on the opposite side of the cord and connected by a parallelogram type linkage to an actuating lever. The lever may be moved longitudinally with respect to the cord in order to pivot the clamp plate toward and away from the clamp surface and thereby clamp and release the cord therebetween. Again, the clamping action must be accomplished by means other than simply bringing the rope to a taut condition on both sides.
None of the above apparatus disclose or teach utilization of a clamp assembly that automatically tightens itself in response to tensioning of a flexible rope on opposite sides thereof.